Carmel High School

Athletic Department

By any measure, the Athletic Program of Carmel High School reflects the twin traits of excellence and diversity.

The start of Greyhound Athletics can be found in 1904 when Carmel played Atlanta in the first basketball game played in Hamilton County. Carmel won 4 to 2 and was led by future Principal and Superintendent Oliver Earl Hinshaw. The basketball program later went to the Sweet 16 in 1926, but would have to wait until 1966 for the next sectional championship.

A football program was started in the 1930's, but only lasted four years. The program was restarted in 1951 and has enjoyed much success ever since. Former Principal Dale Graham started the cross country and baseball programs around 1960. Wrestling and golf would later be added due to the assistance of former coach Don Huffer. Huffer led the Greyhounds to their first state championship in 1970 (boys' golf).

Overall, of the 19 varsity IHSAA sports offered at Carmel High School, ALL of them have captured either a state championship or state runner-up title, or both. In addition, our Greyhound Varsity Cheerleaders have won the Indiana Cheerleading Association state championship three times (2000, 2005, 2006).

Carmel High School is charter member of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference including Ben Davis, Center Grove, Lawrence North, North Central, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South and Warren Central. Conference champions are recognized in 19 sports and an all sports winner is determined each year for both boys and girls sports. In the first ten years of conference membership, Carmel High School has won the all-sports crown for boys’ AND girls’ each year. MIC Schools have captured a total of 158 IHSAA team state championships.

The Carmel Athletics Department was recognized in the May 16, 2005 Sports Illustrated feature article on America's Top 25 High School Athletic Programs. Carmel was ranked #10 nationally and #1 in the state of Indiana. The rankings were based on overall success in the last decade including state championships and student-athletes earning college scholarships. Carmel High School was honored in the Redbook article "America’s Best Schools" for "successful programs in a variety of sports for both boys and girls, commitment to academic excellence for their student-athletes, and for a record of winning games at the district and state level." Additionally, the Athletic Program has been featured in the Indianapolis Business Journal article "Persistence Pays Off" and numerous other magazines and journals for outstanding achievement.

The leadership of the Carmel High School Athletics Department has been in the hands of six individuals since 1956. Dale Graham, who later became principal of CHS served as the first athletics director from 1956-1961. Bill Shepherd, who led the Greyhound basketball team to the 1970 state championship game, guided the athletic department from 1961-1992. Lee Lonzo succeeded Shepherd and was the athletics director from 1992-1997. Current IHSAA Assistant Commissioner and CHS grad Bobby Cox became the fourth AD serving from 1997-2000. Current Carmel Assistant Athletics Director Bruce Wolf took over as the interim AD for the 2000-2001 school year while a search was conducted for a successor to Bobby Cox. On July 1, 2001, CHS graduate Jim Inskeep became the sixth athletics director of Carmel High School. Inskeep leads an athletic department serving 62 teams, 98 coaches, and over 1100 student-athletes.